GAZA — After two relentless years of bombardment, famine, and displacement, Palestinians in Gaza are clinging to a fragile hope: that U.S. President Donald Trump might finally force an end to a war that has killed more than 66,000 people and uprooted over two million.
Hamas announced on Saturday that it was prepared to release hostages and accept parts of Trump’s proposed peace plan, while urging further talks on unresolved issues. For many in Gaza, where entire neighborhoods lie in ruins, the announcement felt like a rare glimmer of light.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged. What is left? Nothing.”
Others echoed the same desperate plea. Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three who was forced to flee northern Gaza, said survival now hinges on Trump’s push. “If this chance is lost, Gaza City will be destroyed and we might not survive. Enough—two years of death, bombardment, and starvation. Enough.”
Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israel has waged its most destructive campaign yet. The Israeli government says 48 hostages remain, with 20 still alive. Meanwhile, most of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, with families living in makeshift tents as famine grips the enclave.
“God willing, this will be the last war,” said Ali Ahmad, 59, who now lives in one of the sprawling tent camps. “We will hopefully be done with wars.”
The United Nations and human rights experts have accused Israel of committing genocide, charges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government denies, insisting the actions are self-defense.
For displaced businessman Tamer Al-Burai, the urgency is heartbreaking. “Every day of delay costs lives. It’s not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” he said, though he remains hopeful Trump may want to be remembered “as a man of peace.”
Still, skepticism remains. Residents recall past false hopes, when ceasefire talks collapsed and fighting resumed. Aya, 31, who fled with her family to Deir Al-Balah, fears Netanyahu will once again block any breakthrough. “Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide? He has always sabotaged everything. I hope he ends it now.”
For Gazans, worn down by two years of war, the question is simple yet haunting: Is this finally the beginning of peace—or just another false dawn?
